svbeachhouse

Category: 2009 Galapagos – Marquesas – Tuamotus – Tahiti and the Society Islands Voyage – Blog

  • Onboard \”Sky Dancer\” Dive Boat…..

    Dear F&F,
    May 17-19, 2009

    Because the Galapagos rules limit where private yachts can go, Scott arranged for us to go on this boat for 1 week of scuba diving. We have been on 4 live aboard dive trips of this kind in the past. The last was about 13 years ago. It is a splurge & hopefully a \”vacation\”. I know this sounds funny since we are retired. But the first night I woke up & the boat was underway & Scott was also right there asleep, it was so strange. Neither of us on watch. Free from any responsibility of maintaining or caring for the boat. No navigation to figure out. No watching the weather. No cooking por moi – a real leisure cruise, with diving – my favorite!

    The Boat: I was upset at first by the horrible smell of mildew in our below deck cabin. Scott had requested an upstairs one with a view & windows that open, but we were lucky to get a cabin at all. Even though he booked this trip in February, it was the last room available. Once we got underway the ventilation system kicked on & the smell improved greatly. Or else I got used to it. Anyway, our cabin is fine. The motion of the boat is less on the lower decks than above, so from the point of seasick prevention it is better that we are down low. We have two twin beds, mine is a bit higher, but they are not bunk beds. Scott\’s is a bit longer & separated on each side of the small room. Plenty of drawers under the beds, surface area & a closet to stow all our stuff. It seems like we brought everything but the kitchen sink! We moved on before the other guests arrived, who all came by airplane from various places, & had strict luggage limits. We are so used to having everything with us all the time that it was hard to leave anything behind. We moved in with 3 dinghy loads of stuff!

    Dive Gear: We had been told by email from the boat company that we would not be allowed to bring our own scuba tanks. The reason we prefer to dive with our own tanks is that they are steel, not aluminum, so heavier & less weight is needed on our weight belts. The first dive was a \”check out\” dive so the dive master could see how we handle ourselves underwater. I used my dry suit for the first time in several years & was pleased that it was not only toasty warm, but I felt very comfortable managing it. Diving with a dry suit requires one additional hose from my regulator to be able to put a little bit of air inside my suit to relieve the \”shrink wrap\” effect as I descend. The water is about 5 degrees cooler than at Coco Island so I expect to be in my dry suit most of the time, although I brought my new 6 mm wetsuit since it may be warmer in the northern islands. With their aluminum tank I needed to wear 18 lbs! We spoke to the dive master after the checkout dive & he had no problem with us bringing over our own steel tanks. Their panga driver gave us a short ride to where our boat was anchored & we brought back our tanks. Scott\’s steel tank holds 95 cubic feet of air, which gives the big guy an equivalent amount of air to my 80 cubic feet. I was able to take 10 lbs off my weight belt, so am much more comfortable.

    Other Guests: It is an international group. Two Canadians from Calgary: one a retired woman dentist originally from Tanzania. The other Calgarian owns property in Costa Rica where she hopes to build a house & retire. Three guys from Monterrey, Mexico including one who has done the \”Tour de France\” four times and was a team mate of Lance Armstrong. One New Zealand Guy. Honeymooners from England. Two guys from Buenos Aires. A beautiful couple from Curacao: he is originally from the Netherlands. She does not dive, but is enjoying herself anyway. A couple from San Fransisco that we hit it off with right away. Scott & I are by far the most experienced divers. Some are really newbies, or have just not been diving recently. We help them get their act together whenever we can.
    There are only a couple guys besides Scott doing underwater photography or video. So it is not a competitive crowd which is great, very mellow. Everyone is friendly & easy going. The Latins speak enough English so that we can communicate with them. Scott & one Calgary women seem the oldest of the group, although besides the young newlyweds everyone seems in the 35-45 range.

    Crew: I think there are as many crew as guests (15). Our cabin is cleaned & tidied up several times per day by Darwin (gotta love the name). When we get out of a dive there are warm towels. They feed us snacks & hot drinks (cocoa or tea) besides breakfast, lunch & dinner. I am really enjoying being served & not cooking at all. We are always hungry after a dive so it is hard not to eat too much. After the last dive, alcohol is included if you wish & I\’ve been enjoying the Vino Tinto from Chile (red table wine).

    Dive Highlights:
    Yesterday I DID get to snorkel with penguins. They are so cute. Not much larger than a seagull. Standing or hopping on the lava shore rocks or swimming fast below. I have always loved penguins. They make me laugh. *SEE VIDEO GALLERY*

    Dive #2 today at Wolf Island was the best so far. Non-stop sharks – both hammerheads & Galapagos sharks. A couple of eagle rays. A few turtles. Lots of moray eels. Plenty of fish of every size & shape. Unfortunately Scott had some technical difficulty with the video so did not get as much great footage as he could have. C\’est la vie. We have regaled the group with our stories of San Benedicto manta rays & shown them the \”Manta Magic\” video which is always a crowd pleaser.

    On Dive #4 I got soaked on the inside. I felt the water flooding in as soon as I did my back roll from their panga into the water. Not a pleasant feeling. It wasn\’t like I was going to freeze to death, so I continued with the dive & did not alert Scott to my problem for about 30 minutes. He noticed me hugging myself, trying to keep my armpits warm. I was able to finger spell (sign language) to him: \”total wet\”. He understood & we notified the dive master that we were going to ascend. The light was already dim at 5:30 pm so I didn\’t feel guilty for taking him out of the water, we didn\’t miss much. It was a rather dull dive. We searched for a tear in a seam or the seals at the neck & wrists but could not find a breech. We suspect I had just not completely closed the waterproof zipper & through that small opening water flowed in. The deck hands were most kind in helping me rinse my fleece long johns in fresh water & took them to the boats dryer. We hung my suit inside out. I will try it again tomorrow.

    Dinner tonight was prawns which were delicious. It is a treat for me to have seafood at every meal that it\’s offered. Scott is not much of a fish eater, so I don\’t usually prepare it for us. We also had chocolate ice cream for dessert, so my day was complete. We are in bed by 9:00 p.m. & up at 6:00 a.m. They keep the boat on Ecuador time (Central) even though the Galapagos is actually 1 hour earlier (Mountain). I guess it helps the guests feel less jet lagged & the \”wake up\” call at 7:00 a.m. does not sound as early as 6:00 a.m. Scott told me they do this to keep boat and the main office in Ecuador on the same time zone.

    Yesterday besides 2 dives and snorkeling with the penguins, we went ashore for a hike up to a viewpoint where we saw the signature photo (Tower of San Bartolome) from on high. It felt good to exercise on land & the view was worthwhile. For the photographer he would have preferred a sunrise view than the sunset. But in the moment it was great.

    Scott & Cindy

  • San Cristobal, Land Tour…..

    Dear F&F,
    May 12, 2009

    We hired the taxi driver/guide recommended by the check-in agent we used to go sightseeing on San Cristobal Island. There are only roads in the southern portion of the island, but they do go up to almost the highest elevation. The highlights were:

    Seeing the marine iguanas on a rocky beach. They almost blend in with the black lava rocks they perch on. They let you get quite close & look very much like mini-dinosaurs. *SEE PHOTO GALLERY*

    We drove by a hilltop with wind-powered generators, like they have on the way to Palm Springs. This provides 50% of the islands power needs. The other 50% is by traditional diesel generators.

    We drove through a few different climate zones. High up at a volcano called El Junco it was very foggy & at first we saw nothing but the mist. Then we waited & could get a glimpse of a lake in the center of the extinct volcano, formed from rainfall. It was cold felt like we were in San Francisco, whereas down by the coast it feels warm & tropical.

    We went to a preserve where they are assisting the survival of the giant tortoises. These enormous \”E.T. faced\” creatures do not begin to reproduce until 25 years old and can live to well over 100 years old. The female lays only 8-10 eggs a year, and in the wild only 1 will survive. With the assistance of incubators & semi-captivity they have increased the survival rate to 5 or 6. The little ones are so cute. But the big ones are awesome. Unfortunately it was not feeding day. They only feed them 3x/week. We did see 1 near the entry that seemed more free-ranging, chomping on a leaf. It is a very large site so they have plenty of habitat to roam. But they seem content just slowly walking into their little water pond or out of it. Mostly they just sitting there, patiently letting we tourists take a thousand photos. *SEE PHOTO GALLERY*

    We stopped for lunch at a restaurant with lovely grounds. Many beautiful native trees & plants. We enjoyed sitting outside. The appetizer of half a pomelo (similar to grapefruit) was the highlight. The meal itself was nothing special – a chicken leg, rice & a couple token vegetables. Dessert was half of a canned peach. The main benefit of this stop to us was speaking to a large bus load of American tourists. They are touring the many islands aboard a large power catamaran. We asked questions about their impressions of Santa Cruz Island which we had considered taking the \”ferry\” to visit. We will have an opportunity to see the Charles Darwin Center there when we are with the dive boat, so we will probably not go on our own. The other island of interest is Isabella, but it is a 30 minute airplane ride. We will inquire about the cost & consider a day trip there.

    Otherwise, we are getting ready to join \”Sky Dancer\” for a week of diving in 5 days.

    Scott & Cindy

  • San Cristobol Island, Galapagos…..

    Dear F&F,
    May 11, 2009

    We knew \”Sky Dancer\” was scheduled to move from Santa Cruz back to San Cristobal that night so I was looking for her. Just before 5:00 a.m. she appeared. Scott got up & spoke to their captain on VHF radio asking if we could follow them in. He said yes, so we had the benefit of a leading boat plus first light. What a difference! Many cruising boats, including several other catamarans. Plenty of room for everyone. Flat water, as the island protects Wreck Bay from the wind & swell.

    We flew the Q (quarantine) & Ecuador flags & then I conked out from 6:30-9:30 a.m. Scott took the dinghy ashore on a scouting mission since we needed to find an agent to check in. We heard that other boaters had a perfectly fine stay at Academy Bay a month or so ago. So we suspect the weather has everything to do with the conditions there. But it was certainly more crowded & seemed very industrial to us. Scott quickly found 3 agents & after we got a thumbs-up from the dive master on one of them, we engaged Bolivar. He took our passports & copies of our other documents yesterday. Otherwise Sunday was a recovery day. Today he showed up on the dot at 9:00 a.m. & we went him to Immigration. We don\’t get our passports back until tomorrow. I guess they want to check if we are wanted criminals or some such thing. To get our international Zarpe to leave we will contact the agent 2 days before our departure date. The fees here are not as expensive as for our stay at Coco. There was no onboard inspection by the Navy or required fumigation as was rumored.

    The fearless sea lions climb onboard wherever they can. *SEE PHOTO GALLERY* All the catamarans with our inviting stern steps are targets. We tried stringing lines across but that is not much of deterrence. The small ones wriggle under. They could easily make their way up into the cockpit, although they have not done this yet. We love to see them in the water, but it is not so amusing to have a large wild animal outside the front door, or blocking your way to your car (dinghy). We have to figure out a better way to block them. They cough & sneeze & bark & take turns knocking each other off the steps. It is pretty funny, as long as I can keep my Good Humor hat on.

    On the taxi boat to shore (50 cents each – such a bargain) we met a couple of other cruisers. One couple is leaving for the Marquesas today. She said they enjoyed a land tour here with a taxi driver recommended by Bolivar. We arranged the same thing, beginning at 8:00 am tomorrow.

    I need to start being more realistic on what these third world places are going to be like, despite romantic names like Costa Rica & the Galapagos. The town here is very similar to Turtle Bay, in Baja Mexico: dirty & depressing (in my opinion). The shopping opportunities are limited to small \”tiendas\”. The meat is not of a quality that I am willing to eat. I am so glad that Mike can bake bread. We will be eating a lot of beans & rice on the way to the Marquesas…

    We had a half hour stop at an internet site, but not good enough to do Skype so not very interesting to me. I did get to retrieve Skye\’s e-card for Mothers Day, so that was worthwhile. We had a soft serve ice cream cone. I left the shore visit feeling quite down. I think the fatigue of the passage combined with uneasiness about leaving the boat unattended for a week while we go diving, plus the burden of provisioning with limited resources have put me in a funky mood. Hopefully tomorrow we\’ll be getting out to see the real beauty of this place and help wash away the blues.

    Hope to send a happier Galapagos report after tomorrow. I am most looking forward to snorkeling with penguins a week from today!
    Scott & Cindy

  • Acapulco…..

    Dear F&F,
    Valentine\’s Day – February 16, 2009

    We have been happily surprised by our experience here. Just goes to show you that you can\’t believe everything you hear. On the radio networks there had been some negative rap about Acapulco: theft, unfriendly to cruisers, have to make an appointment to get fuel, etc etc.

    As we approached the coast to enter the large bay, we were struck by the beauty of the place. More Mediterannean/European than any other place along the Mexican coast. Sheer cliffs, rather than beaches, give it a dramatic appearance with many homes & hotels built right into the cliffs & hills. Sort of like a tropical Sausalito Bay. We hailed the Acapulco Yacht Club inquiring if we could obtain a mooring. We were instructed to go to the fuel dock which is the best way to reach the club office. The guys working the fuel dock were as friendly & helpful as everywhere we\’ve been. When we tentatively asked if it was possible to get diesel now, they said \”but of course!\” So one rumor dispelled – no appointment needed to get fuel. I did my usual calculations of gallons to liters in order to know how much we could take. While I handled the diesel duty, Scott scampered up to the Yacht Club office to see about a mooring. This is the first place that our California Yacht Club membership has mattered. They offer reciprocal privileges to members of only 40 clubs internationally & California Yacht Club is one of them. So we got 1 night at the mooring free. The 2nd night is more than we\’ve paid at a lot of docks, but getting 2 nights for the price of one made it quite reasonable.

    The bay is breezy which helps keep it comfortable & bug free. It is about 3 1/2 miles wide & 2 1/2 miles deep so a huge area. There are some docks but not any more fancy expensive power boats than we\’ve seen anywhere. Another false rumor: \”They only let you stay if you have a helicopter on your boat.\” There are plenty of \”average\” boats at the docks & on the moorings. We had to use our own lines to tie off to the mooring ball. Scott did the knot tying duty from the dinghy while I drove the big boat into position. Good teamwork had us secured to the float in no time. We\’d arrived!

    Since we had such an early morning & long travel day, we stayed onboard & enjoyed the sunset. I heated chicken taquitos served with salsa, guacamole & sour cream. In honor of Valentines we enjoyed the DVD Don Juan de Marco. Ahh Johnny Depp….a really terrific movie!

    We woke up to see a Royal Caribbean cruise ship docked across the way. This place is large enough that the ship does not overwhelm the bay. And its load of people can easily be absorbed by this larger city.

    Since all my bananas were ripe, I made banana pancakes with walnuts. Froze enough for 2 future quick & yummy breakfasts. It is a 5 minute dinghy ride to the club dinghy dock. A dry landing – my favorite. We asked a member at the club what he recommended we see, having just 1 day to explore Acapulco. He said take a 10 min cab ride to see the cliff divers, they would be jumping soon. So we did. They are famous. Scott had seen them on TV as a kid. His parents had come here on vacation (without him) in the early 70s so he had fond imagery of them strolling along the same places we were today. Quite a crowd gathered. There was a bit of a \”pre-show\” with muscular tan teenage boys scampering up the rocks & jumping off various lower ledges. The main show was 6 divers. Two went as singles & 2 went as duets. I feel badly for their mothers, they must be sick with worry every day! The highest point they jump from is a bit OVER a 100 feet. The cliff is not straight down, so they must be sure to jump out far enough to land in the water, not on the rocks at the base of the cliff. Also it is a very narrow cut. So, we the audience, are just opposite them & can clearly see them & the small slit of sea that they aim for. Crazy if you ask me, but it is a part of the history here. By charging to go on the observation deck, selling sodas & postcards, and tips for the divers afterwards it is its own small industry. They only do 1 daytime show, the other 3 are evening so we luckily timed it just right.

    The second thing we were advised to do was have lunch at the Flamingo Hotel, where the actor Johnny Weismuller that played Tarzan lived out his days after he retired. They had many photos of the \”Hollywood Gang\” that came to this Acapulco hang out: Erroll Flynn, John Wayne, others I can\’t remember now. The ocean view from the cliff side palapa restaurant was spectacular. The enchiladas better than average & the prices reasonable.

    With our bellies full, we took a siesta when we returned to \”Beach House\”. While away, we had locked the main door & all the large hatches & were happy to find all was well aboard. No evidence of theft. We went back to the dinghy dock at 5:00 pm for a pre-dinner swim. We had the large & lovely club pool to ourselves. The main clubhouse was actually closed today. But they keep the palapa bar open every day. I had not been in the water since our last dive at Socorro & it felt really good to work my swimming muscles. Scott joined in a dip & sipped a pina colada. The bit of exercise & cooling pool water should help us sleep well tonight. Last night there was music & noise from shore side parties until 1:00 am. But tonight is Sunday so we hope it will be quieter.

    The lights dotting the hillsides surrounding the bay are beautiful. We have really enjoyed our short stop here. We had no particular expectations other than perhaps a faded glory. She is a thriving town. The cruise ships definitely help the local economy & this seems a perfectly appropriate place for them to stop. The south east side of the bay looks like Miami Beach of the 1960\’s and it was a bit eerie to realize that these old high rise hotels stood mostly empty.

    We will be up early for a day/night/half day run down to Puerto Angel. Nowhere to really stop in between. Then on to Huatulco. We are really covering some distance now.

    Scott & Cindy
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  • Acapulco to Huatulco Passage…..

    Dear F&F,
    February 16, 2009

    We slipped our lines from the mooring ball pre dawn, enjoying the lights of Acapulco as we motored away from the bay. It was a calm & comfortable ride all morning. No wind, so motoring along. While Scott took the first watch I cut up my 3 colors of peppers that were starting to wrinkle & put them in the fridge. This inspired the idea to make hummus. Unfortunately I was missing a key ingredient: tahini. But I took a can of garbanzos & dug out my food processor to blend them with garlic, lemon juice & zahatar (spice from Israel). It didn\’t have the creamy texture hummus is supposed to have. Probably the tahini helps with that. But we both enjoyed it as a fresh mid morning snack.

    Scott heard on the morning net that the Navy at Puerto Angel can be somewhat difficult. They may bring a dog onboard to sniff out drugs. They may insist on taking your documents until you leave the next day, etc. It was one thing to go to Acapulco despite bad rumors & have our own experience. But there is no real appeal to Puerto Angel to warrant taking the risk of a hassle with the Mexican Navy keeping our documents in their office overnight. So this run is all the way to Huatulco about 230 miles.

    We saw many turtles bobbing along, their shells shiny in the sunlight. And one spectaular but brief display by a large humpback whale in the distance. I also believe I saw 2 sharks, or perhaps 1 manta ray & 1 shark. You never know what you are going to see out here. I was a bit less excited to see a large tanker on the horizon that did not show up on our ship spotting AIS gizmo. We don\’t know why it isn\’t working. But now that it is dark, I am going outside every 5 minutes to scan the horizon for lights. So far only a few shore lights. We are about 5 miles off the land.

    The wind came up enough by 1:30 pm & from a good angle to fly the spinnaker. It is our largest most colorful sail for downwind conditions. Yes, finally the wind & sea are at our back! It was terrific to be sailing again. Give the engines a rest. It is better for me to have more frequent sailing practice. It is not yet ingrained enough that I forget some procedures if it has been a long time. Scott is ever the patient & informative teacher. The wind held for 4 hours. We knew it would lessen with sundown so took it down before it got too dark. Since I am on watch it is more of a no brainer to motor than sail. We have kept the main up because it gives us some push. I just had to jibe it from port to starboard as the day sea breeze is overtaken by the night land breeze.

    No moon yet & many many stars. Wonderful. It is still 81 degrees at 8:30 pm. It was almost too hot to nap when I was off watch during the day, 95 in our cabin. But it felt good to stretch out anyway. I am reading Mark Twain\’s \”Following the Equator\”. I don\’t love his style but feel it is a classic that is appropriate to read at this time so am sticking with it. He really rambles telling his tales. I know I read Huckleberry Finn as a kid & enjoyed it. But this is a much bigger book. Fine to pass the time. I switch to a book by Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhist monk) when I want more substance. Mainly I am just so happy I feel well enough to read at sea!

    I got a red bump where my last scopalamine patch was. I had noticed it itching but didn\’t pay much attention to it. I hope I am not developing an allergy to it. I put a fresh one on last night behind the other ear. It works so well for me, I have to find out if you can vary where on your body you stick it.

    Scott has kept himself entertained off watch with Stargate Atlantis. Although I enjoyed the SG-1 series with him (all 10 seasons!) I elected not to participate in either the Atlantis or Battlestar Galactica series. I really prefer reading & have a lot of interesting books onboard.

    I think at the rate we are going we will easily arrive in Huatulco before dark tomorrow, Tuesday.

    Scott & Cindy
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  • Papanoa…..

    Dear F&F,
    February 13, 2009

    We were underway by 7:30 am & anchored by 1:00 pm. I slept pretty well last night & feel MUCH better today thank goodness. Z anchorage looked very pretty at night with all the lights of the buildings. And this morning at dawn with the big ship gone it was quite lovely as we left.

    Papanoa is just a little bump in an otherwise straight coastline which runs southeast. There are 2 other monohull sailboats anchored here & we are all heading to Acapulco before dawn tomorrow. One couple has a 2 1/2 year old onboard. She was quite well behaved sitting in their dinghy bouncing besides as Scott talked to the parents. I was hot standing back in the shade of our cockpit. The little girl had a life preserver on & was in the full sun. Yikes! We are so glad to not be burdened with either children or pets onboard. They are heading through Panama Canal to the Caribbean & East Coast on a 3 yr plan. Then back to Seattle to put her in school. Have not met the other boat couple yet.

    I took a nap, which was great because I can almost never fall asleep during the day. Unless we are on watches, then I know it is my job to get sleep & it seems like my brain has an easier time shutting down. I am still not 100%. I think I need to just expect it to take me 3-4 days to get my \”sea head\”. We are not feeling compelled to go ashore in this heat (88 degrees & 65% humidity). Fortunately it does cool down at least 15 degrees at night. It seems to be primarily a fishing village here.

    There are mixed reviews on Acapulco. Reports of theft & general yuckiness. Scott is kicking himself for not thinking ahead & topping off our diesel cans so we would not need to stop for fuel there. We may get to sail some tomorrow afternoon if the wind picks up. We hate to skip it since we are going by. May be a \”safety in numbers\” thing, with the other 2 boats going there too. There is an anchorage just past it that many cruisers go to instead. But we will probably go & see if we can get a mooring for 1 night. It seems they don\’t ever have docks available. And the docks are med-mooring style (walk off the back). We will see what the story is when we get there. There is a fuel surcharge. Many of the yachties are super cheap & get offended by that sort of thing. We just figure it is part of the cost of traveling.

    After Acapulco it will be all day/night run to Puerto Escondido. Escondido to Huatulco a long day. Then we wait for the weather to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec. This is the narrowest stretch of land in Mexico between the Caribbean & the Pacific. The Gulf of Tehuantepec is LEGENDARY for what are affectionately known as \”Tehuantepeckers\”; winds that can blow your socks off if you go at the wrong time. It will be a 3 day/night trip for us. And we hope to time it when it is NOT exciting. Tis crossing may be a motorboat ride the whole way which is fine with us.

    Scott & Cindy
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  • Zihuatanejo…..

    Dear F&F,
    February 12, 2009

    Well if you had asked me if I thought we would spend 16 days on the dock at Ixtapa Marina when we first got there I would have thought you were crazy. But it is dawning on us that when we reach docks we do tend to stay longer than expected & get a lot of things done.

    And now that we are at the Zihuatanejo anchorage, 1 day & night feels like it will be plenty of time here.

    Benefits of the anchorage – free (vs about $65/night by the time you include the electricity & water charges).
    Negative of the anchorage – cruise ships come & go. They usually stay only 1 day /night but they bring a lot of baggage. Starting with the ugly giant cruise ship near the entrance of the anchorage. The many shuttle boats zooming to & from the dock (that only the cruise ship shuttle boats can use. Wet landing for us other boaters.) Jet skis tearing up the place. Parasailing boats freaking you out that they will slam their person up in the air into our mast!

    Motion of the ocean: how quickly I forget that I get seasick really easy sometimes. Easy to forget at the dock! But just this short little 6 mile trip from Ixtapa made me feel pretty lousy & I had to munch a Bonine & put on my patch. I am better now, but not perfect. I wonder if I will ever \”get over\” it? Or if it is just something I need to be more preventive about. It simply did not occur to me that I might not feel fine during a measly 6 mile trip.

    We anchored initially near 3 other catamarans. They were all \”bow & stern\” to keep their bow into the swell. We did not want to hassle with the stern anchor, well, because it is a hassle. And for just 1 night, not worth it if we can avoid it. So we picked up the anchor & moved over amongst the 30 or so other boats. The majority are leaners in the 40-something foot range. The anchorage is still what I would call \”rolly\” due to swell hitting us sideways.

    Photos we will post will show what has become of previously charming Zihuat. So much development. Just like every other coastal town in Mexico; over built. We went ashore in the dinghy. Nathaniel was there to take our 20 pesos & make sure our dinghy wasn\’t stolen. The cruise ship people were onshore which is sure to give it a more tourist town feel compared to when they are not here.

    Since it was after 5 pm, we sat at a beach palapa cafe & shared a burger with fries & chips with guacamole. So we are fed. Nice not to have to fuss with making dinner since I\’m still not feeling 100%. I do get hungry despite feeling a bit bleah. My seasick symptoms are mainly feeling very tired & headachy, more than stomach yucky. In only get that when conditions are really rough.

    Vendors selling every imaginable thing come up to your table: jewelry, sombreros, fabric sarongs/tablecloths, knick-knacks. You have to just ignore them or else you would run away screaming. Then the sell-a-song guys: one with a harp like thingy, one with guitar, a mandolin/accordion duo, on & on… Stand by your table, strum a few notes, see if you make eye contact then move on. Annoying as hell. We would happily have paid more for the food to avoid this routine, understand they are just trying to make a buck & that this is a prime time tourist trap. This season due to the US economy, tourism is down 40% in Mexico. The Mexicans are feeling it big time!

    On the dinghy ride back, we said hello to Monty on a small catamaran that sometimes joined us this summer as part of the multihull brigade. We also introduced ourselves to the boat my friend Sandy just left, \”Shanghai\”. We also said hi to Chuck\’s brother & sis-in-law of \”Sun Baby\”, who were near the 1st spot we anchored.

    So here we are, finally at Zihuatanejo. I hope to get my sea head after a night\’s sleep & the patch will have time to kick in. Tomorrow we will continue. We are only going about the distance of Marina del Rey to Avalon, to Papanoa. This stop is for the sole purpose of making the next leg to Acaplulco a day time trip, not an overnight. The sailing guidebooks do not say much about it other than it is a safe anchorage.

    Scott & Cindy
    ————————————————-
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  • Boat Projects & Friends at Ixtapa Marina…..

    Dear F&F,
    February 7-11, 2009

    Sailor friend Sandy took the bus from Zihuatenejo anchorage and was a big help writing the inventory as I stowed my pantry. All older canned goods are taken out, the new put deeper and the oldest kept most accessible. I label & date the tops of cans so I can quickly see what I am grabbing. The guest cabin still needs some work before we are \”guest ready\” but we have time before Carmina comes to fetch us from El Salvador.

    Scott has been working long & hard every day to install all the equipment I brought from LA. I am especially enjoying the newly installed shower sump that happily gulps away the water & helps keep our bilges dry. We still need to re-caulk the shower floor which leaks out beyond the shower. It never ends�

    While Sandy & I worked inside, Scott installed the port side of the new trampoline. I tried to talk him out of doing it in the heat of the day, but he was driven. The installing of the new went fine. It was the cutting away of the old that was a pain. I will help him do the final tightening of the new & that side will be done. He will cut the old out first on the starboard side & I will help him with the new installation. He was (justifiably) afraid of falling in the hole if the old was gone. But after having done the port, he feels that is the better was to go. I think only 1 or 2 hacksaw blades fell overboard….

    Scott arranged for in interior housekeeper to help me clean. We have not kept up to Eva\’s standards, so I was glad to have Deanna help me with the ceiling vinyl, walls, floors, counters, windows, wipe down, vacuum the saloon cushions, etc, etc. Big job, but necessary to be in ship shape. We worked side by side for 6 hours. It is good to have a clean \”Beach House\”.

    One night we were invited for happy hour aboard a very big fancy power boat, \”Quan Yin\”, down the dock. A super nice couple (Rob & Tami) are the Captain & Cook. Plus 1 other crew as deck hand. We brought along another power boat couple (Linda & John) that we had met last year. I brought pizza from the internet place. Linda brought homemade cookies. Tami put out delicious guacamole & chips. Rob poured wine – a good time was had by all. Tami is from Dallas & a live-wire. Very fun. She & Rob shared good info on Costa Rica, including a referral to a guide for seeing the rainforests and a mechanic that may be able to help solve our auto pilot mysteries.

    Tami invited me along to the mercado with her. Yippee! Another shopping opportunity. We walked a bit then waved down a cab. I had to make a quick stop at an ATM to get pesos, then on to the mercado. Imagine a Mexican version of the old Fairfax farmers market. The dead animals hanging in the meat market were a bit disconcerting. But the fruits & veggies were great. I bought asparagus, brussel sprouts, broccoli, zucchini, jicama, avocados, tomatoes, 3 colors of bell peppers, cucumber, mangos, apples, pears, peaches, plums, tangerines, bananas & one of those enormous papayas. Produce Heaven! We then went back to the supermarket where I picked a few things I\’d forgotten on Saturday: baby wipes (quick & easy clean/wipe up), more tortillas, more cheese, bay leaves, more rib eye steaks. A pint of coffee Haagen Dazs! So once again – we won\’t starve! It was very fun going marketing with a girlfriend.

    Scott had the starboard side trampoline installed by the time I returned from the market. It just needs to be tightened in a day or 2, then the lines trimmed & dressed. His hands are full of blisters & joints aching from the strain of pulling the lines tight all the way around. It was a huge job & he is happy to have it mostly behind him.

    We are doing some paperwork inside with the air conditioning on. It is such a nice relief from the heat in the mid afternoon. A big benefit of dock power. Overnight it cools down to a pleasant 68 so we can sleep without the AC. Unless one of the nearby boats are having a late party, in which case you can only sleep with the windows closed & fans on. Some neighboring boats are so rude about cranking up the music until all hours at night. But as we all know, excessive drinking can make a jerk out of many people. But overall. we have enjoyed our time here at Ixtapa Marina.

    We plan to move on down to the Z-Town anchorage (only 6 miles) on Thursday, February 12. We will probably stay 1-2 nights then mosey on down toward Acapulco.

    Scott & Cindy
    ————————————————-
    Do not push the \”reply\” button to respond to this
    message if that includes the text of this original
    message in your response. Messages are sent over a
    very low-speed radio link.

    The most concise way to reply is to send a NEW message
    to: \”Scott & Cindy Stolnitz (s/v Beach House)\”
    If you DO use your reply button, be sure to delete
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    less than 5 kBytes (2 text pages) in length.

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    in the Maritime Mobile Radio Service, operated by the
    SailMail Association, a non-profit association of yacht
    owners. For more information on this service or on the
    SailMail Association, please see the web site at:

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  • Ixtapa Marina & Cindy\’s Shopping Trip…..

    Dear F&F,
    January 26 – February 6, 2009

    A couple of months ago we had emailed Ixtapa Marina (just 6 miles from Zihuatenejo) requesting a slip reservation. The harbormaster told us they would not have room. Knowing that things can change, Scott decided to hail them while we were getting diesel at the Ixtapa fuel dock. Lo & behold, they had lots of slips available & we are happy to take one. It is so much easier to do boat projects, get cleaned up, schlep groceries onboard etc. from a dock than when at anchor. So Zihuatenejo will just have to wait.

    Boat washers descended upon us right there at the fuel dock & we signed up with one for the next morning. Always good to get the salt off after a long stretch at sea. There are many big, beautiful power boats in the marina. Mostly with crew, instead of owners, onboard. The owners of that type of boat just fly in once in a while. The hired captain & crew maintain the boat & move it to wherever the owner would like to visit it next.

    It is a 15 minute walk to a small boat supply store, liquor store & row of outdoor cafes. We become \”regulars\” at Z-Pizza because they have free WiFi if you eat or drink something. We buy an internet access card from the supply store, but it only works (sometimes) on 1 laptop from the boat, with a very weak signal. Not good enough for our Skype internet telephone.

    Our boat shopping list was growing long & it became apparent that it would be better to get some critical items sooner rather than later. The most substantial items being 2 autopilot parts, our new trampoline, shower sump pump and generator spare parts. Internet research showed that Alaska has nonstop flights daily to LAX from Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo airport. Knowing we are on a bit of a time clock to get down the coast to Central America, I did not delay booking my flight to LA for January 29.

    As soon as the flight attendant announced we were allowed to turn on cell phones my job began. The first 2 messages were from Don at M & B wetsuits. He discovered that my measurements from 10 years ago were not in the Stolnitz file, he only found Scott\’s. I got great use out of the custom 5 mm wetsuit he made me, but am due for a new one & opted to get the 6.5 mm since I get cold so easily. I called his house & he agreed to measure me at his Lakewood shop in the morning. If he had the measurements Day #1, he felt he could finish the suit in time for me to take it back with me.

    My LA Shore side Support Team helped from the minute I landed. Larry & Barbara Tenan graciously picked me up at LAX, despite the fact that my plane was 2 hours late. It was great to see these former patients, now friends. The extent of our visit was in the car from the airport to where I was staying in Santa Monica.

    Lori Rubenstein once again generously shared her lovely Santa Monica guest house with me, including use of her car for 2 days. She was busy seeing patients and managing her PT office, completing the final class for her doctorate degree and attending meetings for the Anti-Defamation League leadership program. So we were somewhat ships passing in the night. Her affectionate kitty Mika was happy to see whoever came home first.

    This was my first trip to California where I stayed in LA & did not fly up to see my No Cal family. I knew I would barely accomplish all I came for in a week, so the trip to Sonoma County would have to wait for our already scheduled visit in March. There were some pangs of guilt at not seeing my 92 year old father. But I have been mourning my loss of him for many years due to his dementia. Although still high functioning and very sweet-natured, in many ways he has already left us. Sister Alberta called my cell phone every day which is a rare luxury for us to be able to talk so often and with better-than-Skype connections.

    My eye doctor kindly saw me without an appointment. I am \”of that age\” when reading goes to heck. He decreased the strength of my right eye contact so I can now read again without reading glasses. Hallelujah!

    I was able to get an appointment to get my boobs squished (aka mammogram). One less thing to do in March.

    I shipped the video camera housing out for repair, as well as a strobe for the still camera system.
    I bought a new dive mask since I think I look like Zorro with my other one. You could not see my eyes that well. Being a frequent underwater model, it is important that my eyes can be seen.

    Skye & I had 2 dinner dates and it was great to catch up. During our first visit she showed me photos from a recent trip to DC & Italy. A great way to spend her brief time on unemployment. Truly. I have always encouraged her to travel whenever she can.

    Mike Lonnes is our sailing friend that does boat shopping for us & is our \”Ship To\” address. Our first rendezvous was at Redondo Marina Day #1 where he gave me the first 7 boxes. Juan, of Rainbow Canvas met us there & took our worn Sunbrella dinghy cover to use as a pattern for a new one. Mike had a job for him on his own boat so this connection worked out well.

    My second meeting with Mike was on Day #6 in the West Marine parking lot – many more boxes. On the last night, after a final transfer of goods in the parking lot of our storage unit, he & Beth took me to dinner at Alejo\’s. Great to see both of them & eat lots of garlic!

    I squeezed in a visit with my soon to be 100 year old former patient and friend Edith Robinson at her assisted living facility. I regret not having a video camera running as she told (& in some cases, re-told) her stories of working for the Nazis, escaping to England, and soliciting a sponsor to come to the US. Amazing stories that will be buried with her as she has kept no journals & has no close family. Her fianc was killed in the camps & she never found another love. She hoped I was the \”surprise\” that the facility promised her for her birthday gift Feb 25. I was touched & sad that I could not stay for her big day, but we had a lovely evening together & I pray she is still there the next time I return.
    Friend Linda van Zeyl, volunteered to go on my Day #6 shopping run and helped me pack it all up back at Lori\’s. Don at M & B had my wetsuit finished a day early, so we buzzed down to Lakewood to pick it up. It fits perfectly, as I knew it would.

    Packing is always an origami project. Two large hatch screens with plastic trim rings were simply too large to fit in any suitcase and I was already bringing the trampoline as a 3rd piece in its own box. So I stuffed my new wetsuit as padding between the 2 screens & shipped them via DHL to the harbor master in Huatulco (a soon and future stop on our way south). We did not want to risk them being held up in Mexico City customs, which would delay our departure from Ixtapa, so felt it best to send them to our next major port of call.
    The rest of the packing went well. It was a huge help to have Linda keep the process moving along as I was inclined to stare at the large piles & feel overwhelmed. Little by little the boxes were emptied, the packing material stuffed into Linda\’s truck, and the suitcases filled with boat booty.
    I even managed to tuck in a few Trader Joes fun items this time, not just vitamins. Dried cranberries, walnuts, flaxseed meal & chocolate covered pistachios to take back to Mexico.

    After being on \”rations\” for 40 days I ate Japanese food, Thai food, Indian food, plus all the fruit & veggies I could lay my hands on.
    I was gone 8 days & despite a hectic pace of \”hunting & gathering\”, I enjoyed it immensely. I have lived in So Cal since I was 18 years old & the Westside was home for 23 years. I\’m not sure if we will ever live in LA again, but it is sure great to visit. And there is nothing like a bit of time off the boat to make me eager to set sail. Being away from Scott is the worst part of these solo trips. Seeing his smiling face upon my return is the best part. Mission accomplished.

    Scott & Cindy
    ————————————————-
    Do not push the \”reply\” button to respond to this
    message if that includes the text of this original
    message in your response. Messages are sent over a
    very low-speed radio link.

    The most concise way to reply is to send a NEW message
    to: \”Scott & Cindy Stolnitz (s/v Beach House)\”
    If you DO use your reply button, be sure to delete
    the original message text and these instructions
    from your reply.

    Replies should not contain attachments and should be
    less than 5 kBytes (2 text pages) in length.

    This email was delivered by an HF private coast station
    in the Maritime Mobile Radio Service, operated by the
    SailMail Association, a non-profit association of yacht
    owners. For more information on this service or on the
    SailMail Association, please see the web site at:

    SailMail Association

  • Ixtapa Marina & Cindy\’s Shopping Trip…..

    Dear F&F,
    January 26 – February 6, 2009

    A couple of months ago we had emailed Ixtapa Marina (just 6 miles from Zihuatenejo) requesting a slip reservation. The harbormaster told us they would not have room. Knowing that things can change, Scott decided to hail them while we were getting diesel at the Ixtapa fuel dock. Lo & behold, they had lots of slips available & we are happy to take one. It is so much easier to do boat projects, get cleaned up, schlep groceries onboard etc. from a dock than when at anchor. So Zihuatenejo will just have to wait.

    Boat washers descended upon us right there at the fuel dock & we signed up with one for the next morning. Always good to get the salt off after a long stretch at sea. There are many big, beautiful power boats in the marina. Mostly with crew, instead of owners, onboard. The owners of that type of boat just fly in once in a while. The hired captain & crew maintain the boat & move it to wherever the owner would like to visit it next.

    It is a 15 minute walk to a small boat supply store, liquor store & row of outdoor cafes. We become \”regulars\” at Z-Pizza because they have free WiFi if you eat or drink something. We buy an internet access card from the supply store, but it only works (sometimes) on 1 laptop from the boat, with a very weak signal. Not good enough for our Skype internet telephone.

    Our boat shopping list was growing long & it became apparent that it would be better to get some critical items sooner rather than later. The most substantial items being 2 autopilot parts, our new trampoline, shower sump pump and generator spare parts. Internet research showed that Alaska has nonstop flights daily to LAX from Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo airport. Knowing we are on a bit of a time clock to get down the coast to Central America, I did not delay booking my flight to LA for January 29.

    As soon as the flight attendant announced we were allowed to turn on cell phones my job began. The first 2 messages were from Don at M & B wetsuits. He discovered that my measurements from 10 years ago were not in the Stolnitz file, he only found Scott\’s. I got great use out of the custom 5 mm wetsuit he made me, but am due for a new one & opted to get the 6.5 mm since I get cold so easily. I called his house & he agreed to measure me at his Lakewood shop in the morning. If he had the measurements Day #1, he felt he could finish the suit in time for me to take it back with me.

    My LA Shore side Support Team helped from the minute I landed. Larry & Barbara Tenan graciously picked me up at LAX, despite the fact that my plane was 2 hours late. It was great to see these former patients, now friends. The extent of our visit was in the car from the airport to where I was staying in Santa Monica.

    Lori Rubenstein once again generously shared her lovely Santa Monica guest house with me, including use of her car for 2 days. She was busy seeing patients and managing her PT office, completing the final class for her doctorate degree and attending meetings for the Anti-Defamation League leadership program. So we were somewhat ships passing in the night. Her affectionate kitty Mika was happy to see whoever came home first.

    This was my first trip to California where I stayed in LA & did not fly up to see my No Cal family. I knew I would barely accomplish all I came for in a week, so the trip to Sonoma County would have to wait for our already scheduled visit in March. There were some pangs of guilt at not seeing my 92 year old father. But I have been mourning my loss of him for many years due to his dementia. Although still high functioning and very sweet-natured, in many ways he has already left us. Sister Alberta called my cell phone every day which is a rare luxury for us to be able to talk so often and with better-than-Skype connections.

    My eye doctor kindly saw me without an appointment. I am \”of that age\” when reading goes to heck. He decreased the strength of my right eye contact so I can now read again without reading glasses. Hallelujah!

    I was able to get an appointment to get my boobs squished (aka mammogram). One less thing to do in March.

    I shipped the video camera housing out for repair, as well as a strobe for the still camera system.
    I bought a new dive mask since I think I look like Zorro with my other one. You could not see my eyes that well. Being a frequent underwater model, it is important that my eyes can be seen.

    Skye & I had 2 dinner dates and it was great to catch up. During our first visit she showed me photos from a recent trip to DC & Italy. A great way to spend her brief time on unemployment. Truly. I have always encouraged her to travel whenever she can.

    Mike Lonnes is our sailing friend that does boat shopping for us & is our \”Ship To\” address. Our first rendezvous was at Redondo Marina Day #1 where he gave me the first 7 boxes. Juan, of Rainbow Canvas met us there & took our worn Sunbrella dinghy cover to use as a pattern for a new one. Mike had a job for him on his own boat so this connection worked out well.

    My second meeting with Mike was on Day #6 in the West Marine parking lot – many more boxes. On the last night, after a final transfer of goods in the parking lot of our storage unit, he & Beth took me to dinner at Alejo\’s. Great to see both of them & eat lots of garlic!

    I squeezed in a visit with my soon to be 100 year old former patient and friend Edith Robinson at her assisted living facility. I regret not having a video camera running as she told (& in some cases, re-told) her stories of working for the Nazis, escaping to England, and soliciting a sponsor to come to the US. Amazing stories that will be buried with her as she has kept no journals & has no close family. Her fianc was killed in the camps & she never found another love. She hoped I was the \”surprise\” that the facility promised her for her birthday gift Feb 25. I was touched & sad that I could not stay for her big day, but we had a lovely evening together & I pray she is still there the next time I return.
    Friend Linda van Zeyl, volunteered to go on my Day #6 shopping run and helped me pack it all up back at Lori\’s. Don at M & B had my wetsuit finished a day early, so we buzzed down to Lakewood to pick it up. It fits perfectly, as I knew it would.

    Packing is always an origami project. Two large hatch screens with plastic trim rings were simply too large to fit in any suitcase and I was already bringing the trampoline as a 3rd piece in its own box. So I stuffed my new wetsuit as padding between the 2 screens & shipped them via DHL to the harbor master in Huatulco (a soon and future stop on our way south). We did not want to risk them being held up in Mexico City customs, which would delay our departure from Ixtapa, so felt it best to send them to our next major port of call.
    The rest of the packing went well. It was a huge help to have Linda keep the process moving along as I was inclined to stare at the large piles & feel overwhelmed. Little by little the boxes were emptied, the packing material stuffed into Linda\’s truck, and the suitcases filled with boat booty.
    I even managed to tuck in a few Trader Joes fun items this time, not just vitamins. Dried cranberries, walnuts, flaxseed meal & chocolate covered pistachios to take back to Mexico.

    After being on \”rations\” for 40 days I ate Japanese food, Thai food, Indian food, plus all the fruit & veggies I could lay my hands on.
    I was gone 8 days & despite a hectic pace of \”hunting & gathering\”, I enjoyed it immensely. I have lived in So Cal since I was 18 years old & the Westside was home for 23 years. I\’m not sure if we will ever live in LA again, but it is sure great to visit. And there is nothing like a bit of time off the boat to make me eager to set sail. Being away from Scott is the worst part of these solo trips. Seeing his smiling face upon my return is the best part. Mission accomplished.

    Scott & Cindy
    ————————————————-
    Do not push the \”reply\” button to respond to this
    message if that includes the text of this original
    message in your response. Messages are sent over a
    very low-speed radio link.

    The most concise way to reply is to send a NEW message
    to: \”Scott & Cindy Stolnitz (s/v Beach House)\”
    If you DO use your reply button, be sure to delete
    the original message text and these instructions
    from your reply.

    Replies should not contain attachments and should be
    less than 5 kBytes (2 text pages) in length.

    This email was delivered by an HF private coast station
    in the Maritime Mobile Radio Service, operated by the
    SailMail Association, a non-profit association of yacht
    owners. For more information on this service or on the
    SailMail Association, please see the web site at:

    SailMail Association